Bryce Harper Injury: Updates on Nationals Star's Status

After two violent collisions with the outfield wall, Washington Nationals superstar Bryce Harper is has recovered from bursitis in his left knee. Harper wasted little time ensuring fans he is healthy once again.

UPDATE: Monday, July 1, at 7:25 p.m. ET by Eric Ball

In Harper's very first at-bat since returning from the DL, he proved to everyone that there is nothing to worry about regarding his health:

After completing two sessions of batting practice without pain, Harper is heading to a rehab assignment at Class A Potomac according to Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com. He outlines the timetable for Harper's return:

Harper plans to play three innings and start in left field tomorrow night for Potomac, then increase his workload each subsequent day. If all goes well, he could possibly come off the DL in time for some of this weekend's series at the Mets. If he's not quite ready by then, he'd almost certainly return for the Nationals' homestand that begins June 30 against the Brewers.

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UPDATE: Sunday, June 23, at 11:40 a.m. ET by Brandon Galvin

Encouraging news for Nationals fans as Bryce Harper is already looking great in batting practice. Denver Post's Troy Renck has the latest:

This quote from Davey Johnson, via CBS Sports' Dayn Perry, makes it clear that Harper may not have as much say on when he returns as he thinks he does:

"I'll have a conversation with him about that," Johnson said after being told of Harper's comments. "When a player starts playing, it's really up to me, what I think they need. Not up to the player. I'm always trying to do what's best for the player. But at the same time, it's my job to know when they're ready and when they're not."

Harper was given two injections, one of platelet-rich plasma and another of cortisone, in order to help combat the swelling and inflammation that has plagued him for two weeks. His knee was placed in an immobilizing brace and the 20-year-old will be reevaluated by the Nationals’ doctors in one week.

Another MRI done on his left knee again showed no structural damage to the ligaments or cartilage, but a specific timetable for when he may be able to return to the Nationals’ active roster remained unclear. They must first see how he responds to this treatment.

“These are all good things." said Nationals head trainer Lee Kuntz. "We want him to rest the knee, that’s why we put him in the immobilizer. We’ll reevaluate him in one week’s time and if everything’s a go, then we will resume activity with him and get him going as quickly as we can.”

Harper had this to say about his recovery, Sports Illustrated's Scooby Axson:

"I’m not going to rush it. I’m going to take as much time as I can to get it right. I want to get back in this lineup 100 percent. I don’t want to get back in it 80 percent."

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UPDATE: Tuesday, June 11, at 1:33 p.m. ET by Kyle Vassalo

According to The Washington Post's Adam Kilgore, Bryce Harper didn't undergo an operative procedure while meeting with Dr. James Andrews on Monday:

Harper told reporters that he felt like he could have gone on the DL after running into the wall (per Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post) and that his knee hadn't shown any improvement as of yet, but he hopes to resume baseball activities by the end of the week, to return to the team by June 11 (per CSN's Mark Zuckerman).

Bryce Harper says no improvement so far with his knee, hoping to resume baseball activities by end of week and return 6/11.

Comak goes on to note that Harper was able to walk off the field under his own power with the trainers, so that's a big positive. But this is something you never want to see happen, let alone to one of the game's up-and-coming superstars.

Going into Monday night’s game—in which he was 1-for-1 with two walks and two runs scored—Harper was hitting .297/.387/.619 with 10 home runs and 21 RBI, ranking among the National League’s top 10 in several different hitting categories.

But what makes Harper exciting—specifically, his propensity to play the game at 1,000 miles per hour—is often what gets him in trouble. Earlier this season, he injured the left side of his body when he ran into the wall in a game against the Atlanta Braves.

He managed to avoid a serious injury after that one, and hopefully the reigning NL Rookie of the Year is able to do the same after this unnerving crash. Fellow outfielder Denard Span feels Harper's competitive spirit may not even keep him out at all.

"He is a warrior. I guarantee he is going to try to play tomorrow," said Span (via Bill Ladson, MLB.com). "Thank God he is OK."

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Roger Bernadina, who entered Monday hitting just .103, took Harper's place in right field.